Tuesday From The Trenches: Laken Slate

Hello lovely readers and welcome to this week's Tuesday From the Trenches! I'm still loving these interviews and I get SO much from each of them. I hope more than anything that you see that there is truly no "right" path to representation. Every path is so unique and I LOVE that!! This week's story is really unlike any others I've shared on the blog, and I'm so happy to be sharing it with you today.

As a partial side note, Laken reached out to me about an interview and I was SO glad she did. I can't see every single announcement and so if any of you have hoped to join me for Tuesday From The Trenches, I would absolutely love for you to reach out to me! I love sharing these stories and if I'm missing yours, please please please get in touch!!

And now, join me in welcoming Laken Slate to the blog today!!

Thank you so much for joining us today, Laken! I was so excited to see that you recently signed with Joyce! And I’m thrilled to share your query story with my readers.

To get started, can you share your query stats with us?

Time Spent in the Query Trenches: Eight Months

Number of Agents Queried: 44

Number of Requests for Additional Work/Full Manuscript: 3

Number of Twitter Pitch “Likes”: 0.00…Well, more like 0.5. Someone from a comic book press liked one of my pitches, but they didn’t mean to participate in the pitch event. They simply liked the idea. Haha.

Number of R&Rs: 0.00

Number of Rejections: 42

Number of Offers: 2

Agent and Agency: JOYCE SWEENEY😊from The Seymour Agency!

Wahoo!! Congrats again!! How did you keep track of it all? What was your method for organizing queries? Spread sheet? Query Tracker? Etc.

I used a combination of Excel and Query Tracker.

I documented who I sent stories to, what agency the person belonged to, why I chose to submit to them, the date I made the submission (!), and the response the agent gave.

I didn’t “track” much on Query Tracker. The “comments” feature was incredibly useful, and the “timeline” feature was incredibly addictive…lol.

Oh my goodness, YES! That timeline feature is a blessing but also a curse. I would tell myself to not check, but then I just had to. Seeing the responses get closer and closer to my submission was somehow both stressful and helpful... Weird, I know.

How did you handle rejections? Did any sting more than others?

Ah... rejections. Will we ever escape them?

I handled rejection badly as a child! Somehow, I handle it well as an adult.

While querying, I viewed every pass as feedback. I always made changes after rejections. Some may disagree with this method, because one person’s subjective opinion doesn’t warrant alterations, but I felt propelled to take a deeper look at my work after a pass.

The rejections that stung ended up being the most helpful. They stung like a shot at the doctor’s office, not like a bee (if that makes any sense at all).

A rejection after a request hit me hard, at the beginning of my query journey. But earning that initial request gave me the confidence to keep trying.

Another rejection after a request hit me harder, in the middle of my query journey. But it was from my now agent.

It sounds like you really did learn so well how to cope with rejections. And I agree... those passes after requests for more were the hardest for me too. But I love that you circled back to Joyce in the end! But here I am getting ahead of myself...

How did you find agents to query/how did you decide who to query?

I Googled agencies at random and used Manuscript Wishlist. At first, I only looked to see if an agent represented picture books. Later, I made sure to only query agents who represented picture books similar to mine, or who mentioned a Wishlist item similar to my stories. I had to work smarter and harder!

I think that is very wise. I also queried very widely in the beginning, but narrowing to those "better fits" saved me so much time, emotion, and energy. How did you ultimately connect with your agent? Did you cold query? Participate in a twitter pitch event? Or connect in some other way?

It all started in September 2020. I sent a story to Joyce, and she loved it! She requested more stories but said she didn’t want to take on new clients until the new year. She asked me to query again in December.

I queried in December and received a pass. I had so been hoping to work with her.

I decided to take a step back in January 2021. I wanted to focus less on querying and more on crafting. I wanted to attend conferences about storytelling, not webinars on acquiring an agent. I felt I needed to go back to the basics.

Two weeks later, an agent I queried in 2020 asked to schedule “The Call.” I was absolutely floored. He clearly advocated for an author’s best interest, throughout our conversation, and he said that I should take the standard two weeks to make my decision.

I began reaching out to the handful of agents who still had my stories. Out of the blue, a few days later, Joyce emailed me. She was not one of the agents I contacted about the offer, because she had given a pass in December. She asked if I still needed an agent and said she remembered my work! On “The Call” with her, a few days later, she said she had a feeling she needed to contact me soon. Signing with her felt like it was meant to be!

Oh wow! What a unique journey. I've never heard a story like yours and I love it so much!! So how much time passed between querying Joyce to getting “the call”?

5 Months

Could you tell us a little about your book that landed your agent?

The story I sent Joyce in September is an imagined adventure, starring real Martian machines. Perseverance and Ingenuity attempt to rescue one of the lost solar sisters of NASA’s past.

I re-watched WALL-E recently, for the first time since High School. It is an absolute masterpiece. I kept dreaming, while watching, that my story could introduce children to the Martian rovers, in a similar, adventurous, adorable fashion.

Oh, that sounds absolutely out of this world! (sorry... couldn't help myself! But truly it does sound like an amazing book!!)

If you could give querying authors a piece of advice, what would that be?

Every time a generous professional offers an #askagent, #askauthor, or #askkidlit session, I see aspiring writers ask questions like, “Is a query letter that important for picture books?”

This is a valid question, and I have asked it myself. Looking back, however, I know my mindset wasn’t spot on. A query letter is your chance to sell your story to someone who could help you achieve your dream. Your pitch, or query blurb, could be sent to an editor one day or could be printed on the jacket of your book. If you believe in yourself, think big.

Does that mean your query must be perfect? Heavens no! I wrote the world’s worst queries! But I thought I was sending my best each time. (CPs, reflection, and growth always reveal necessary edits.)

More than anything, the story matters. Focus on the story most! But, at the end of the day, all the silly little things add up. Word count matters. Blurbs matter. Queries matter.

Give your absolute best, in every part of the process, and don’t give up!

I love that so much! Such a good reminder to not cut corners and give this journey our all! Where can we connect with you online?

I absolutely love the #Kidlit writing community. You can find me on Twitter at @LakenSlate

I am developing an early childhood writing curriculum for my M. Ed. Capstone. My website combines my love for education and writing. I share ideas for teaching little learners to write, and I blog about my own writing journey.

Oooh, that sounds like a wonderful blog! Thanks so much for joining us today! I’ve had a blast chatting and learning more about your journey. Best of luck on this journey! I can’t wait to see your books in the world.

Kailei, thank YOU so much, for including me in your fantastic series! Like so many others, I’ve read each Tuesday’s post and thought, “I wish I could be out of the trenches like they are!” This interview is a dream come true😊

Oh I so love that!! It was absolutely my pleasure to have you!!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!!

Laken is very generously offering a complete Query Package to one luck winner! Simply follow both Laken and Kailei on twitter and retweet THIS tweet to enter. Good luck and the winner will be announced on Twitter!

About Laken Slate

Laken Slate is a teacher, toddler mom, and Navy spouse. She's had a lifelong love of picture books, even though she once failed the Accelerated Reader test for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Laken writes about the adventure and quirky humor we find in nature and the shared tumbles we take along the way. She enjoys traveling with her husband, playing with her son, shopping with her mom, laughing with her sister, and fishing with her dad.

About Kailei Pew

Kailei Pew is a wife, mother, and picture book author represented by the amazing Emily Forney of Bookends Literary. She is an active member of SCBWI, a 2019 Write Mentor Mentee, and a finalist in Susanna Leonard Hill's 2019 Holiday Writing Contest. She loves writing picture books that help kids see they can do anything they set their minds to.

Kailei can't wait to get her stories into your hands.

LET'S DANCE! A Kidlit Spring Fling Dance Party

Hello friends! Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was relaxing, fun, and rejuvenating and that you're ready to jump back into writing/revising/editing/querying/etc. Speaking of relaxing, fun, and rejuvenating, I have some super exciting news! Valerie Bolling and Kaitlyn Sanchez have teamed up AGAIN to bring to you a virtual Kidlit Spring Fling DANCE PARTY!!

If you joined us for the Holiday Dance Party, you know that this will be an event to attend!

What: A Virtual KidLit Spring Fling Dance Party

When: Saturday, March 20th, 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time

Who: YOU are invited as Valerie Bolling and Kaitlyn Sanchez share their favorite dances and talk about what they've been up to, Kaitlyn's move and hopes at Red Fox Literary, and details on the #SpringFlingKidLit Contest

Why: Because we could all use a little more connection! And who doesn't love to dance?

Valerie has teamed up with one of her favorite Black-owned indie bookstores to offer signed copies of Let's Dance! You can purchase a signed copy HERE.

This is a FREE Event, and space is limited, so register right away!

Register Here:

LET'S DANCE! REGISTRATION

Can't wait to see you all soon!

Tuesday From The Trenches: Andrew Hacket

I can't believe we're back around to another Tuesday From the Trenches! How time flies!

Except for when you're waiting for news and refreshing your inbox ever 2.7 seconds... then it drags like a sloth in molasses.

But other than that, it flies.

Thank you so much for joining me for another wonderful interview! I'm excited to welcome Andrew Hacket to the blog today. His whirlwind story is one for the books!

Thank you so much for joining us today, Andrew! I’m thrilled to share your query story with my readers.

Thank you, Kailei! I can’t believe that I get to be a part of this series! I have learned so much from reading each week and I hope my story can do the same for others.

Wow, thanks so much Andrew! I love hearing about people reading and gaining insights. I truly would have devoured this series when I was in the trenches. I was a googling champ trying to hear about as many query journeys as possible. I know your story will absolutely help others! Can you share your query stats with us? (Brace yourselves, readers... this is unbelievably amazing!)

Time Spent in the Query Trenches: 1 month

Number of Agents Queried: 6

Number of Requests for Additional Work/Full Manuscript: 1, but this was from a live pitch event, not a query.

Number of Twitter Pitch “Likes”: 1

Number of R&Rs: 0

Number of Rejections: 5

Number of Offers: 1

Agent and Agency: Dan Cramer, Flannery Literary

Only 6 agents?? Wow, Andrew!! Rock star! I know you didn't end up with much you needed to keep track of, but for the sake of consistency, tell me...how did you keep track of it all? What was your method for organizing queries? Spread sheet? Query Tracker? Etc.

I ended up not needing to keep track of much, but I was prepared to. First I made a spreadsheet to organize who I would like to submit to and color coded each agent based on how good of a match he/she was for my work. Greens were my top choices. This was saved for agents whose MSWL directly matched with my manuscripts and whose personalities I felt I would connect with. This could be from Twitter, interviews, or videos. Anywhere I could glean a little insight. Yellow was reserved for those agents whose MSWL wasn’t a perfect match, but had enough in common that I wouldn’t be totally wasting my time. And red was for no-gos. The MSWL for these agents did not match my writing at all. I had no plans of querying this set of agents, but kept them on my list to remind me I had already researched and written them off. Agents I queried were moved to the top of the spreadsheet, where I kept track of the submission date and their response.

That is really amazing organization! I know you only had a handful (literally), but how did you handle the few rejections you received? Did any sting more than others?

I knew rejections were going to be inevitable. With that in mind, I shipped off my first query to a well-known and respected agent who had just reopened to queries. I obviously was hopeful when sending my query, but at the same time I knew there was no way around rejections and was ready to just get it over with. My wishes were granted and in less than 24 hours I had my first rejection. But I had done it, I was officially in the query trenches.

Each rejection stung a little. Even when trying to separate my emotions from it, they still chipped away at my confidence and introduced a bit more self doubt each time.

My hardest rejection was from an agent who requested multiple manuscripts. It was the one I allowed myself to get my hopes up for. I envisioned the call. My reaction. All the things that, for self preservation, I had decided I wouldn’t do.

I tried to view each rejection as proof that I was putting in the work. I had thought about writing for so many years without taking any observable action and now I had the evidence that I was doing the work and committing the time and effort to try and achieve a goal I always thought was unobtainable.

My best remedy for dealing with rejections was either to dive back into my creative process and get lost with a character for a while, or go for a hike and explore nature, or to go play with my kids and let them take my mind off of it. Building forts, racing toy cars, and playing play-doh are all wonderful distractions from rejections.

That's a really good point about distracting yourself/taking your mind off of it. I also have to say that it's so hard not to get your hopes up. I think we've all had those moments visualizing "the call" and really feeling like it would be "the one" to have it end in rejection. I love hoe completely normal that is and that you experienced that even in a month. I think you handled it extremely well.

How did you find agents to query/how did you decide who to query?

I spend a lot of time on MSWL searching through profiles and keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn’t scroll to the bottom of the page and find they were closed to queries. I also looked at who was “liking” pitches or participating in giveaways for various online contests.

Diving into agency websites, videos and interviews were all research methods I used when trying to decide who to query.

Those are great ways to find agents! So from those, how did you ultimately connect with your agent? Did you cold query? Participate in a twitter pitch event? Or connect in some other way?

Though I did participate in pitch parties and cold querying, they were not how I found my agent.

I happened to see that Dan was offering first page or query critiques to the first 5 people to comment on his Twitter post. Always up for a Twitter giveaway, I made my comment and crossed my fingers. Luckily, I was one of the 5 chosen to receive a critique.

I was just beginning to query a different story and I thought this would be a great opportunity to get some agent feedback. I sent off my query and was pleasantly surprised when, in addition to constructive feedback, Dan also mentioned that my story was intriguing and he’d love to read it if I wanted to query him.

That's so exciting!! And proof to take all of the different opportunities that come your way!

How much time passed between querying Dan to getting “the call”?

About 24 hours passed between sending the query to the actual call, but it was a matter of hours between the query and setting up the call. I was in shock! I wasn’t expecting a critique would lead to representation or that it could happen so quickly. When the email came through to set up the call I was piled under two of my three kids and I am pretty sure I launched them off of me, as I began pacing the house and frantically rereading the message to ensure I had read it correctly.

Oh wow!! That's really incredible! How exciting to have such a quick response.

Can you tell us more about “the call”? How did you know Dan was the right choice?

The call was great. Dan was calm and easygoing, which made it so comfortable. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t nervous. I had a page full of questions and felt this enormous pressure to make sure I was making the “right” choice. Dan got started and answered the majority of my questions before I had the chance to ask. Through his responses to my remaining questions, Dan displayed his knowledge of the industry and I felt confident that I was getting a true sense of his personality. Dan also loved my manuscript and understood and believed in my vision for it and had a clear plan for going on submission. Having the opportunity to reach out to his clients and listen to their experiences, only further solidified that I was making the right choice.

That sounds so great. I love hearing all of these stories about "the call" just clicking. I absolutely know what you mean there. It's so good when an agent can answer your questions in a way that puts you at ease. And a wonderful reminder to still do your homework and check in with other clients.

Could you tell us a little about your book that landed your agent?

I owe so many thanks to Kaitlyn Sanchez, Lydia Lukidis, and Fall Writing Frenzy. The story that landed me my agent was a slightly longer, revised version of my entry for their contest.

The inspiration behind it was a combination of a night hike my children and I went on this past summer and my own pondering about memories and the types of childhood experiences that stick with us into our adulthood.

That sounds so lovely. And I love all of these snippets about your time with your kids. Parenting is such a blessing. Sounds like you have a lot of joy in fatherhood and that it rings out from your books.

If you could give querying authors a piece of advice, what would that be?

My advice would be to stay open to any and all possibilities. Keep cold querying. Participate in pitch events. Enter giveaways for ms/query critiques. You never know what step will be the one that lands you representation, but each step is helping you build connections and opportunities that will eventually pay off.

That is such great advice. And your story proves that you never know when one of those opportunities will lead to something more!!

Where can we connect with you online?

I am on twitter @AndrewCHacket and my blog series, The Backstory, can be found on my website at www.AndrewHacket.com/blog. This weekly series features interviews with published authors sharing the inspiration behind their latest releases. Each week we have a new author and a new giveaway, so please check it out!

I've been loving your new series! I hope all of my readers jump over to your blog and check it out!

Andrew, thanks so much for joining us today! I’ve had a blast chatting and learning more about your journey. Best of luck on this journey! I can’t wait to see your books in the world.

Thank you so much for having me, Kailei!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!

Andrew is offering one lucky reader a non-rhyming PB Manuscript critique! Just follow both Kailei and Andrew on Twitter and retweet THIS tweet to enter. Will be announced on Twitter.

About Andrew Hacket

Andrew’s background of being surrounded by children, both at work and at home, has been a treasure trove of inspiration. A nature lover, Andrew can be found exploring the woods of Massachusetts with his wife and three kids. While often witty and imaginative, Andrew’s stories can also delve into the more serious and emotional topics that children can experience.

Andrew is represented by Dan Cramer of Flannery Literary.

About Kailei Pew

Kailei Pew is a wife, mother, and picture book author represented by the amazing Emily Forney of Bookends Literary. She is an active member of SCBWI, a 2019 Write Mentor Mentee, and a finalist in Susanna Leonard Hill's 2019 Holiday Writing Contest. She loves writing picture books that help kids see they can do anything they set their minds to.

Kailei can't wait to get her stories into your hands.